Carpet-stretcher



(No Modem I S. FILDES.

CARPET STRETGHER. No. 300,237. Patented June 10, 1884.

KUHN k JWM ya@ Nrren S'rnrrns dernier @reina SAMUEL FILDES, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 300,237, dated June 10, 1884.

Application filed May 16, 1853. (No model.)

will whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, SAMUEL FILDns, of the city and county of La Porte, in the State ol' Indiana, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for drawing a carpet to a proper and even tension, and 'spreading it easily and quickly on the door free from wrinkles or diagonal strains, without injury to the carpet or liability to injury, and also for holding it in position until it can be made fast by taeking or otherwise; and the object of my invention is to provide a tool or machine by which one person can easily so stretch a carpet, and spread it smoothly. and hold it in position, and make it fast to the door without great muscular effort or wearisome exertion, and

. without injury to the earpetf I attain these 4objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side View of the machine, showing it as it appears when in use; and Fig. 2 is a bottom View showing that portion of the machine which takes hold of the carpet.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame-work of the carpet-stretcher consists oi' a block of wood, A, or other material, of any suitable and convenient sizesay one inch thick, six inches wide, and eight inches long. To the under side oi' this block are attached three strips, b b b, of card cloth or filletin g, such as is used in woolen-mills for carding wool. This iilleting consists of hooks or teeth set close together in strips of leather or other suitable material. The teeth are about a quarter of an inch long, and do not stand at right angles to the leather, but are all inclined in the same direction. They are -made of diamond-pointed steel wire, and are fastened in the leather by looping or riveting. One of these strips is attached to the :middle of the block A, as shown in the drawings, and the other two at'the sides. They may be one and a quarter inch wide. Instead of the three strips, a single strip may be used of the full width of the block or oi' a less width, or two .block A.

strips may be used. may be used in place of this wool-carding material. A curved bar or tongue, C, of steel or iron or other suitable material, is attached to the front end of the block A. This bar is about ten inches long, two inches wide, and a quarter of an inch thick. On the under or concave side of the bar there is a row of ratchetv-teeth, d d d, inclined backward toward the The bar C is fastened to the block A by the link e and the plate or strap f. These three pieces are linked together like a chain. The plate f is fastened to the upper side of the block A by screws or rivets, and may be three inches long, one inch wide, and one-quarter of an inch thick. The handle or lever H may be round and about one and onequarter inch in diameter at the largest part, and sixteen inches long. The lower end is protected by a ferrule, g. A pointed rod or4 spike, i, is screwed into the lower end of the handle. It may be of iron or steel, one-quarter of an inch in diameter, and may project one and a quarter inch beyond the end of the handle, and may penetrate into the handle about three inches. In this handle there is a slot, le, about four inches long and sufficiently wide to permit the bar C to pass freely through it. Near the bottom of the slot is a pin, Z, which engages the teeth of the ratchet d cl d when the apparatus is in use. On the upper side of the block A there isl a cushion, m, of cloth stuffed with wool or other suitable niaterial. Instead of the ratchet-bar C, a chain Any suitable substitute may be used, or a wire which may be bent to pass around the handle H, and may have both ends fastened to the block A by eyelets, so that it may have a free movement up and down. Then a chain or wire is used, there should be a hook fixed in the handle H about four inches from its lower end. The object of this hook is to prevent the chain or wire falling to the iioor when the machine is in use.

The method of using the carpet-stretcher is as follows: It is placed on the carpet at any place where desired, and the handle H is set in front of it, with the top somewhat inclined backward, and the end of the bar C passing through the slot in the handle. l The operator then places one or both knees on the cushion m and pushes the handle forward, which carries the carpetvwith the carpet-stretcher for- `Ward. The handle is then drawn back and 5 again pushed forward. This is repeated as often as may be necessary. As the handle is drawn back, the ratchet-teeth slip over the pin Z. When a chain or Wire is used in place of the ratchet, the foot of the handle is moved [o forward each time the top is drawn back. The Weight of the operator holds the carpet in the advanced position to which it may be drawn until it can be made fast by tacking or otherwise. The handle may be placed some- 15 What to one side, instead of directly in front,

SAMUEL FILDES.

Vitnesses:

EDGAR D. BARRoWs, E. A. STONE. 

